GRAHAM CITY- Yesterday, the Metropolitan Graham Transit Authority released final plans for the lane arrangements and design of their new BRT system. The struggling system chose a different method than many other systems in order to use existing ordinary buses to provide the new transit service.

The three lane arrangements that will be used in the Graham BRT system.

Lane arrangement A is for former four lane roads with no middle lane that needed on street parking. It runs the BRT in the center of the road with platforms and on street parking in the middle lanes on each side of the road.

Lane arrangement B is going to be the most common in the system. It uses center platforms in the former center lane of five lane roads, while running the BRT lanes in the opposite direction of traffic.

Lane arrangement C is basically a regular street side bus stop for when the BRT is making a loop on smaller streets near the beginning and end of each route.

The reasoning for the oddly designed lane arrangements is the lack of funding to buy buses with doors on both sides. Using existing and newly purchased ordinary buses means all doors are on the right, requiring an unusual lane setup.

MGTA plans to just run regular buses and occasionally accordion buses very frequently (every 2-3 minutes during peak) to make up for the smaller bus size until they gain the means to buy better buses.

The Graham City Economic Crisis has been very hard on the city and the transit system. Most of the routes being created are to replace demolished old condemned elevated subway lines in the city, although a couple will follow new corridors that need better service. The nearly broke system normally would never be able to fund such a project if not for emergency funds provided by the federal government (taken from more successful and well off systems like Quentinsburgh’s QUARTA) and newly reallocated funds from elsewhere in the state. The hope is that as the city and the system get back on their feet that they will then be able to sustain themselves without being on ‘life support’ from the federal government.

Construction on the first two lines, both running along former subway corridors through important but poorer neighborhoods, will start in August. (A temporary service is already running on these lines.) The construction on those lines is expected to be done by 2018. MGTA hopes to have a strong system in place by 2020, in step with the city’s recovery from economic crisis.

QUENTINSBURGH- Sean Bond International Airport and Franklin’s LLC. announced earlier today that to provide expanded parking, a building in the Hotel Village Square development south of the airport will be demolished. In its place will be an expanded Park and Ride 3, helping further improve the parking at the airport. The building to be demolished is currently home to an underused Franklin’s Supermarket. All other spaces are vacant, as the Rose Market sharing the building announced that it will be closing its doors in a couple weeks.

“Even with new neighboring residential development, we only saw a few people come in to shop each day. When building this location we greatly overestimated the need for a supermarket. I think this area is much more ripe for a convenience store like JP’s Convenience or Convenience Corner to meet the needs of hotel guests”, manager Joseph Delle explained to reporters.

Franklin’s LLC. has explained plans to instead build a small Franklin’s Express location in the newly built Arbor Square residential development across the railway tracks from Hotel Village Square and a large Franklin’s location down the street at the corner of Courthouse Road and Grant Lakepark Road, both of which have much more potential and demand.

“All of our workers will keep their jobs, new people will be hired, and the company’s profits will improve greatly. And parking will be better at SBD Airport as Park and Ride 3 expands. Everyone wins.”

QUENTINSBURGH- After yesterday’s declaration of war on Freedemia by the Woolonian Traditionalist Rebels, the people of Freedemia have been in an unusual state of crisis and unrest, with little knowledge of what this means for the country.

Earlier today, President Angela Rosenthal declared a state of national emergency, while explaining that she and the legislature were still trying to decide how to best respond to the declaration.

“While we try to figure out how to best respond to this, I’m declaring this a state of national emergency. However, stay calm. There is no need to be alarmed. At this moment there is no imminent threat to our nation. We need to stand together and trust God to work this situation out. The best thing you can do right now is stay calm and pray.” Rosenthal appeared visibly shaken, but seemed to be trying to help the rest of the nation stay calm.

Despite extreme concerns by many in the pacifist society, many believe there is really no reason to fear.

“The good thing in this situation is that this is not a large superpower declaring war on us. This is simply a rebel force with practically no presence in our nation. The damage they can do to Freedemia is minimal,” PWN military analyst Samuel Pender told PWN Evening News.

Nonetheless, many fear that this marks a shift in the country’s pacifist history and culture.
“I don’t blame Woolonia, nor do I blame President Rosenthal,” one mother from Quentinsburgh told us. “But my concern is that if we don’t respond properly, this could be the first blemish on our country’s dedication to pacifism. But at the same time, we can’t put anyone at risk by not acting… I don’t know what we’re supposed to do. We’re between a rock and a hard place…”

“For the first time in my life, I may actually go from being ‘reserves’ to ‘combat’,” one man stationed at Fort Franklin Military Base stated. “I just hope we stick to defensive duty and aren’t forced to deploy any units. Maybe an air strike would be the most effective, but I still don’t like the idea of resorting to that to solve this…”

Woolonia, on the other hand, seems to have an intricate plan involving air strikes, limited ground forces and an increased intelligence network. However, perhaps wisely, they haven’t publicly released any details.

“While we want to be transparent, we can’t risk giving away too much information about our tactics,” President Ferdinand Sealy explained in a recent (but very brief) press conference.

BREAKING NEWS- PASTUREVILLE– At 12:13pm Freedemian Standard Time today, the Woolonian Traditionalist Rebels released a statement declaring war on the Woolonian government and the Freedemian government or their support of Woolonia.

“To the Woolonian Government- We gave you plenty of warning. You had ample opportunity to meet our demands peacefully. You chose to declare war. War it will be. The cause of traditionalism will victorious over your modern society. And to the government of Freedemia- you have been the largest supporters of the traitorous Woolonian establishment since the first civil war. You had freedom to choose either side. You choose wrong. You are as much of a threat to our traditionalist lifestyles as the Woolonian government. You will also regret your choices in this matter. Take this as a declaration of war, on the Woolonian establishment, its Freedemian support, and other allies of the traitorous government you hold so dear.”

The WTR did not say any specifics about the unnamed “other allies”.

For the pacifist nation of Freedemia, this is the first time war has ever been declared on them. President Angela Rosenthal, while attempting to stay calm, called the news a “national crisis” and the Freedemian National Legislature will convene this evening in an emergency session and time of prayer. It is unclear at this time how Freedemia plans to respond to the declaration of war.

Woolonian President Ferdinand Sealy said he is prepared for anything that they throw at Woolonia and were expecting actions along those lines. However, he expressed extreme sadness that his Freedemian allies were drawn into the situation.

“I want the WTR to understand that Woolonia is not scared of them. We are ready. And we will win. But I also want them to understand that Freedemia and their leaders don’t deserve to be brought into this. When they allied with us, they did so for the overall best interest of all Woolonians. Leave them out of this.”

For more information as it comes in, stay tuned to PWN News for the latest.

WOOLPORT- After another failed smaller attack by the Woolonian Traditionalist Rebels in Woolport yesterday and in response to the recent attacks President Ferdinand Sealy officially declared war on the rebels, effectively starting the Second Woolonian Civil War. General Reynolds Jackson-Hermett, head of the newly formed Woolonian Intelligence Task Force, was given full authority to be the head of military actions after Sealy’s previous personal efforts failed.

“When they went beyond armed resistance to attacking our leaders and those of our allies, they crossed a line. But when they went from attacking our government to attacking our civilians, we were forced to act. Today, the Woolonian Collective reluctantly, but firmly, declares war on the Woolonian Traditionalist Rebels and Sheep in Wolves’ Clothing.”

“I personally am not a military expert, and understanding such, I am surrendering the military leadership role to General Reynolds Jackson-Hermett. I have full trust in General Jackson-Hermett to most effectively and soundly defeat the WTR. Under him and his task force, in just these past weeks, we have collected valuable intelligence information to properly know how to act to defeat the WTR while minimizing our losses. I am confident in his ability and strategy, and I wouldn’t want anyone else in charge.”

“In every situation, our first priorities are still the security of our nation and the safety of the Woolonian people. Together, we will stamp out the wolves that threaten our sheep.”

President Sealy declined to answer any questions at that time, and did not address recent calls for his resignation.